The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Vitex agnus-castus hereinafter referred to as ‘V0509A-7’.
Pedigree and history: ‘V0509A-7’ originated from a cross of Vitex agnus-castus ‘Abbeville Blue’ (unpatented, female parent) and Vitex agnus-castus ‘Silver Spires’ (unpatented, male parent), caged together with honeybees as pollinators, in the summer of 2005, under the direction of David Knauft. Seeds were collected from ‘Abbeville Blue’, and may have resulted from self-pollination or crosses with ‘Silver Spires’. These seeds were sown, and the seedlings were grown in the spring and summer of 2006. Sixteen plants were selected based on desirable horticultural qualities, and were propagated via stem cuttings in August 2006. In April 2007, the resulting liners were transplanted into containers or the field at a location in Watkinsville, Ga. Based on container and field performance, the plant identified by the cultivar name ‘V0509A-7’ was selected. Stem cuttings were made from this selected plant, and distributed to Carol Robacker, who took over this breeding program in 2009. Asexually propagated ‘V0509A-7’ plants, propagated in Griffin, Ga. by stem cuttings in 2009, were planted in a replicated field plot (three reps, randomized block design) in Griffin, Ga. (cold hardiness zone 8a) in fall, 2009.
Plants have been evaluated for four years at the Griffin, Ga. site. Height and width data has been collected annually. Cold damage was assessed each spring. Mean panicle length and number of panicles per compound panicle were counted each summer. First bloom and re-bloom dates were noted each year. Data was collected on leaf yellowing, leaf drop, thinning, and leaf spot in July, August and September of each year. In addition, two replicates were also planted in Blairsville, Ga., in spring 2011, to assess performance in this colder environment (cold hardiness zone 6b). In March of 2011, rooted liners were shipped to a location in Bonsall, Calif. for evaluation.
Vitex agnus-castus is a deciduous shrub or small tree used in landscapes. This drought tolerant plant may be grown in cold hardiness zones 6 through 9. During cold winters in zone 6, it may die back to the ground, but will likely re-grow from the roots and produce a flowering shrub during the following summer, as flower buds are formed on new growth. Late spring freezes in zone 7 may also cause cold damage and dieback, but the plants recover and bloom during the summer. The new plant is expected to be distributed for landscape use in the U.S. and perhaps in other countries.